saving money on kids (realistic)

I have 3 small children 4, 3, and 1 saving money on food and baby needs is a must.  We by no means make a lot of money (I wish), I Have been a stay at home mom for 3 years now and my husband works as a chef at a local restaurant.  It wasn't until just recently I was able to really get into a groove of saving money.  I shop sales and clearance and use coupons whenever possible.  I started couponing about a year or so ago.  The couponing has reached the point now where if I know I have a coupon but I don't have my coupon holder it makes me sick to think about actually paying full price!!! I do not go crazy with the coupons and I only buy one newspaper to get my coupons.  The most I have ever saved on a shopping trip was $65 with coupons and bonus buys at our local grocery store (Giant) but my total was still in the $200 range!  I rarely get things for free but saving $1 is great to me!!

I also make a little extra money for myself selling formula coupons on eBay ( no kidding, similac coupons fly like hot cakes!) and consigning out grown kids clothes at a consignment shop.  It's only a few bucks here and there but it adds up.

So anyways I will get to my favorite and best part, saving on kids clothes!!!

This is what my shopping list looked like for each kid for the most part:
(I always aim high price wise)

Shirts:
long-5 at $10
short-5 at $6

Jeans - 7 at $12

Jammies- 6 at $14

sweatshirts - 2 at $15

socks/undies - $20 total

winter coat - $20 

sneakers - $20


Saving on clothes for my kids is very important to me.  I will shop anywhere.  My favorite being JC Penney, Old Navy, Children's Place, Target, and our local consignment shop.  This year I went shopping all over the place.  I ended up finding deals at Gymboree and Gap which NEVER happens I don't usually have luck with the high end name brands but I went shopping during a Presidents Day sale and they had awesome clearance.  I do the same for summer so sometime in September  I will shop end of summer clearance sales.  My 1 year old is getting hand me downs from my 4 year old so anything I have that isn't stained or in bad shape I keep and then I will fill in any gaps as needed..sometimes I will just not like something anymore and donate or consign it.

Each of my kids have a bin with their next season of clothes all ready to be taken out.  Nothing is worse than it all of a sudden being super hot (we have crazy weather in PA sometimes) and not having any clothes for a random hot day or vise versa. I have the size and season labeled on the paper and on the back I have an inventory list of what is in the bin, in case I need to get something that I couldn't find at the time I went shopping

If you are EVER shop online anywhere head over to Retailmenot they have coupon codes for just about anywhere you can shop online, so never pay full price there is likely a coupon code.   They also have printable store coupons to take to the store and use as well so check them out before a shopping trip.

Diapers and wipes :  I don't really save a whole lot here but I shop at SAMs club for diapers and wipes when we get our tax refund I stock up for the year.  If you need to exchange diaper sizes its not an issue. This year I got 8 huge boxes of diapers and 12 boxes of wipes. My total was just under $500 so that left me a little over $1000 to shop for clothes for the kids.   

Prayer board

I decided the other night to make a board that I could hang all the prayer requests I come across from friends and family.  At my Bible study we do weekly prayer requests and this is an easy way for me to remember!  That way I can hang it in a place I often go (the kitchen)  

routine chores for kids

I decided I was going to make my little kiddos start REALLY helping me out around the house now.  I made little cards (the size of business cards) to put on a chart.  I didn't get around to actually making the chart quite yet but I am working on it.  I will post on that later!  I am introducing them to the cards slowly so they aren't thrown into and then end up freaking out about it.  Since they can't read I have been explaining each picture and what the job is everyday so that way when I start their charts they will know what the jobs are. 

They are not ALL chores but I made some cards with things they already do regularly like brushing teeth, getting dressed, and picking up toys.  I did that so when I make their chart it isn't just all WORK but more of a routine chart with chores throughout the day.  

How to....? not difficult I think you can figure it out!

• paper/card stock in whatever color you want
• packing tape or laminater (Is that a word? auto correct says not oh well you get the hint!)
•  scissors or paper cutter
• magnets, sticky tac, or velcro.  Use whatever works with what you are sticking it to. 

 I used a business card template. Thought of chores and routine items and  picked out some clip art that seemed to fit each thing.  This took me forever to do!  I couldn't think of toddlers jobs!

After I finally did that I printed them out I only had regular printer paper but I would suggest card stock instead to make them stronger.  

After I cut them all apart I used packing tape because that is what i had around here.  They came out really nice with the packing tape I just wish I used card stock instead (NEXT PROJECT!) 

I plan on using sticky tac or velcro for my board 

My ideas...

•  clean backroom sink (with something like vinegar that won't kill them)
• feed cats
• make your bed
• put toys away
• mate socks
• help with laundry (my kids love helping put things in the washer or dryer)
•  put silverware away
• clean table (again with something like vinegar)
• clean bedroom
• vacuum floor
• get the mail 
• put books away
• water plants (my kids love this)
• help with groceries
• help cook
• gather small trash bags
• brush teeth
• get dressed
• dust

More nutella: strawberry, blueberry, and nutella pizza

I was trying to use up some pizza shells that I had but wasn't in the mood to heat up my kitchen by turning the oven on so I resorted to a fruit pizza.  My kids loved it, I was surprised they even tried it they never eat new things EVER! >.< but they ate the whole thing so I was happy!

Ingredients:
Whole wheat pizza shell, fruit of your choice - I only had strawberries and blueberries, and of course the best part NUTELLA!

Strawberry and Nutella French Toast

Yesterday we had an amazing time at our bible study cook out.  We had pizza mountain pies and for dessert we have strawberry and nutella mountain pies (my idea).  

Today I made french toast for lunch and decided it would go amazing with the left over strawberries and nutella I had.  Well it was amazing I enjoyed it.  I layered french toast, nutella, and strawberries. 

kids say the darndest

My daughter just recently started going number 2 on the potty and by potty I mean an actual plastic potty chair.  Today at my moms without saying a word she used the toilet for the first time (for number 2) We were all sitting outside and she runs outside and tells me she pooped.  I was shocked because there isn't a potty at my moms house so I was slightly worried.  I go inside to check it out and sure enough she actually went on the toilet! With that story in mind.....


Julie tells me it is a poopy fish in the toilet, no idea where she got that from we never talked about fish being in the toilet but she called her poop a poopy fish.                                                                                                                                          

The baby shower gift

 While I was making a diaper cake for my friends baby shower  I decided to cover it with cloth diapers to make it look neat and "clean" since Luvs diapers aren't exactly diaper cake worthy.  While doing so I thought of ANOTHER idea to do with the many many cloth diapers I had.  I decided to have a tissue paper free gift bag.  I used cloth diapers (burp cloths), they stick out of the bag just like tissue paper, who knew right?! THEN guess what...  I decided to dye them!  I made them different shades of VERY light pink.  I will warn you in the pictures it is hard to tell since some shades are super light and the flash is bright. SIGH! -.-  Also I used egg dye because that sadly was all I had that would actually stain the fabric because apparently the food coloring I have doesn't stain.  >.< 

hanging out in some egg dye

my slightly pink burp cloth

You can just barely see the different shades the lightest is on top and gets slightly darker at the bottom

my finished gift